


For Him (Julance 2020)

by aurokoi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alice In Wonderland AU, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Badass Lance, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blue Paladin Lance (Voltron), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Julance 2020, Lance (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Monsters & Mana (Voltron), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Soulmates, Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), Role Swap AU, Romantic Soulmates, Team Voltron Family, Team as Family, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:22:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25046836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurokoi/pseuds/aurokoi
Summary: A month filled with love and attention for our boy Lance, because it's what he deserves.Prompt List: https://twitter.com/aurokoi/status/1278946094458654722?s=20
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	1. Day 1: Blue Paladin

**Author's Note:**

> In which Lance sits down in front of Blue and they have a heart to heart.

Lance sat cross legged in front of the Blue Lion, smoothing his hands up and down his thighs as he thought about where to begin. Blue’s eyes weren’t glowing, but he got the sense that she was patiently waiting for him to speak first. Considering, you know, she couldn’t _speak_ at all. 

He shivered as the reality hit him. He was sitting in front of a sentient robot, a war machine, in the middle of _space._ For the millionth time he asked himself, _how did I get here?_

A smaller part of him asked, _how_ long _has it been?_

Keeping track of time once they had launched into space was a tricky thing considering they no longer had the clear boundaries of day and night to guide them, but Lance suspected it had been two weeks, if the number of times he’d fallen asleep since arriving on the castleship told him anything. So much that had happened in that time, from finding the other lions to a freaking _alien_ named Sendak attacking the team and Lance almost dying and Pidge ready to leave and-

He forced a breath. 

Point of the story: a lot had happened. 

And somehow, one of the strangest, was Shiro’s request for them to ... bond? With their lions? 

He thought he and Blue were already pretty tight; there was something about her that clicked with who _he_ was. He couldn’t really explain it other than feeling like Blue ... made _sense_. 

He could feel the shifts in her energy, could tell when she was happy or sad. But all of that was reactionary on his part; he changed himself according to how she felt. He had no idea how to _communicate_ with her. And apparently those were different things. 

Which is how he ended up here, bobbing his leg anxiously in front of the metal feline. 

Well, conversations didn’t start themselves, so he threw on a charming smile and leaned forward on his knees. “Hey there, beautiful, come here often?”

Blue stared down at him, unmoving, but her aura changed into something more amused. 

He was trying to flirt with a robot. How embarrassing.

Lance sighed and dropped his chin into his palm. “You know, Shiro asked us to bond with you guys. I’m gonna be honest and say I don’t really know what I’m doing,” he confessed. “With any of this really. It’s all a bit too much for my brain to handle.”

He readjusted his position so that he was lying on his side, the weight of his head braced in his arm. “Two weeks ago I was the biggest flunk at the Garrison,” he explained, voice distant. “Now I’m a ‘Defender of the Universe’. It’s all...” He let out a heavy sigh. “It gives me whiplash, Blue.”

The strands above his brows shifted as Blue’s joints creaked, the sound of metal sliding over metal just a surprising whisper in the hangar as she too shifted her position so she was laying down, head cushioned on her paws. Her eyes glowed a soft blue, and Lance had the strangest sensation that she was watching him. 

Now, he had her attention. 

_This is crazy,_ he thought weakly. No way, _no way_ , this was real. 

Even as he thought it, he was scrambling to sit up, heart pounding in his chest. 

Hesitantly, he scooted closer until he could reach out with one of his hands and settle his palm against her paw. He felt a deep purr vibrate through her, and it was more than enough to motivate him to continue. 

“You never saw me on Earth, Blue,” he whispered. “There are so many things I’m not good at. Piloting included.” 

Blue purred again, currents of discontent running through the noise. An image flashed through his mind. There were clouds all around him, and he was dipping in between them like a dolphin doing tricks in the water. 

“That’s different,” Lance voiced his thoughts as soon as he realized what she was showing. “That was you flying, not me.”

The discontent deepened. 

His voice got smaller as he continued, revealing a thought that had kept him awake on more than one occasion. “Truth is I’m still trying to figure out why you chose _me_ in the first place.” 

Silence stretched between them, his voice echoing against the walls. 

A sour taste filled his mouth. There were many things about himself that he wasn’t fond of, the tiny voice in his head that tried to convince himself that he wasn’t meant to be there most of all. A needier side, the one who craved attention and praise. The one who never really knew his place unless it was given to him by others. 

Blue whined, nudging against his hand. 

He felt something open between them, a metaphorical door that allowed, just for a moment, Lance to feel emotions that weren’t his own. 

Lance startled and asked, “Is that you?” But he already knew the answer to that. 

He felt the warmth, first. Like sunlight streaming through the windows on a sunny day, warming his skin. Like the sun pounding against the streets of Manzanillo. He could smell the sea, could hear the call of gulls on the beach. It reminded him of home. 

His chest burst, leaving behind a tingling that rose up and up and up until Lance thought he would fly away. 

Lance recognized this feeling as pride. 

He stared, slowly connecting that feeling to himself. “You’re... proud of me?” 

_Yes_ , Blue’s eyes seemed to say.

“But why?” 

More imagery in his mind. Of the moments in his life he hadn’t thought about in a long, long time. 

Blue waves of the ocean. Ice under his feet from the time they had visited the Rockies. The pretty brown eyes belonging to the girl who gave him his first kiss, hidden under the bleachers during a middle school dance. The trail of smudged lipstick he left over the lips of a boy from middle school, illuminated by the dim lamplight from his bedside table. 

Lance blushed, recalling how his body seemed to prickle at the realization that he’d only ever thought about something like this happening within the boundaries of his imagination. 

“You didn’t have to bring that one up,” he mumbled, ears burning. He heard a bell tinkle in his mind. Blue was laughing at him. “Why are you showing me these?”

Her answer came through other memories, all tinged with varying shades of blue. Lance saw himself looking in the mirror, face a mosaic of cornflower, periwinkle, of midnight sky. He saw red rimmed eyes. Felt a familiar struggle under his ribs. 

_Why?_ She seemed to ask. 

_Why what?_

_Do you feel like this?_

His throat tightened as he opened his eyes. He didn’t remember closing them at all. “I don’t know,” he whispered. 

She waited patiently. 

Lance took the time to gather his thoughts, working through the tangle to find the right words. “Sometimes I think this was all a mistake” he began slowly, voice stuffy with emotion. “I’m not paladin material. I don’t even know how I fit into this team, Blue,” 

Blue pulled on his consciousness again, and he obediently closed his eyes. He saw himself sitting before her, blue fragments displayed between them like broken glass. He saw home. Both of his first kisses. He saw his friends. His team. 

He saw the sky and reached down for it, fingers crossing through the surface and all of a sudden he was falling. 

No, he was flying. 

Blue danced around him, a masterpiece of fluid motion. 

His memories floated before him, glinting as sunlight passed through them. It morphed and spilled onto the earth below them like an image of a stained glass window on a church floor. 

The fragments aligned to depict him in his paladin’s armour, bright eyed and mouth curved into a confident smile. 

And then he heard a voice. It sounded like a stream. A river emptying out into a boundless sea. It was a language he understood. 

_You are the Blue Paladin. You represent the Guardian Spirit of Water. Of change. Of adaptability. I chose you because I see the potential in you. Your experiences give you the power to evolve into the person you desire to be, but you must allow yourself to believe he deserves to exist in the first place._

His stomach swooped and clouds rushed past his ears as he fell towards a sprawling ocean, which swelled up to cushion his descent. It sang lullabies into his ear. Blue floated down so they were eye to eye, tail swishing side to side. 

_I see him in you._

Lance opened his eyes. His hand was still on Blue’s paw. 

His vision was blurry. He felt something drip off his chin and hit the hangar floor. Blue stared back at him, silent as the stars. 

“You see potential,” Lance whispered. 

Warmth blossomed through his chest like a hug. Blue hummed in his mind, soft and inviting. 

Lance collapsed into her embrace, resting his forehead against her paw. He sniffed and gave a watery laugh. “Well, woulda look at that. I think we just bonded, Blue.” 

His mind filled with the tinkling bells of her laughter again. 

He felt like he had been walking into walls trying to search for answers as to why he was here, why he was _allowed_ to be here, while his answer sat beneath his feet the entire time. He was connected to her before, but now they shared an understanding. Lance felt her emotions, stronger and clearer, but a part of him felt like _he_ had gotten through to her as well. 

The insecurities pricked at his mind were still there, but there was a soft shield between them and his consciousness, and it was filled with _Blue._ Like a safeguard against himself. 

Like a friend to fall back on. 

It was a thought that made him smile, and somewhere deep inside, Blue let out a soft trill, like she was glad he finally understood. 

  
  



	2. Day 2: Home (S/L)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Lance, home existed in three places.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how could i get a prompt about 'home' and not make it even a little bit related to shance? the answer is that i can't. there is shance in this chapter. (all sfw!)

To Lance, home existed in three places. 

The first one he dreamt about at night in fragmented colours that were never quite the same in space. Matanzas was the city he held onto with a white-knuckled grip, which kept him sane when he began feeling too small in the inky expanse of the universe. He walked through the streets lined with gently weathered buildings when he felt lost, reminding himself of the little things that he looked forward to seeing when he returned to earth. 

The seagulls squawking louder and louder the closer you got to the shoreline. The occasional stray cat he’d come across, walking over the roof ledges with dainty little paws, jumping onto a fence before landing on the pavement. Being able to see the ocean through his window when he sat on his bed. 

He even missed the guy down the street that, for whatever reason, refused to buy a new scooter even though the one he owned whined and had the tendency to stall at inappropriate moments. His mama teased him by telling him it was time to lay the poor thing to rest, but he insisted. 

_“One more drive_ . _It’ll last one more drive.”_

And somehow, it did. Lance wondered if he still owned it, or if he upgraded after Lance had left for the Garrison. 

When all of _this_ \- the war, being millions of miles away from home - Lance promised himself that he would take the entire team around Cuba and visit all the big cities, maybe even spend a few days in Varadero, on the beach, because they all _deserved_ the vacation. 

Maybe they’d race down the pier on Vespa’s in the middle of the night. Or go surfing! Lance _loved_ surfing. 

The possibilities made him smile. 

This team had become his family, so it was only natural that he’d want to share his home with them too.

* * *

His second home was the one he never really asked for, but got anyway. The one in space, thousands of years old but somehow still more advanced than anything he’d ever seen in his life. The castleship was sleek edges and all white and reminded Lance of a hospital rather than a home. 

At least, it was at first. 

It was hard to adjust to the dramatic changes around him when he first got there; he missed the slightly weathered walls of the buildings in his hometown, the noise, the _colour._ But over time he realised that he was making new memories within these walls as well, memories that kept his homesickness at bay. 

Without realising, he began to look forward to coming back to the castleship after missions. He’d gather everyone in the lounge and get them to play Monsters and Mana, feeding off the excitement of his friends. Sometimes he would stand in the intersection of multiple hallways and spin either Hunk or Pidge until they were unsteady on their feet and then let them lead the group into an unexplored nook, where they’d spend hours mapping out the layout and trying to find their way back. 

The castleship is where he bonded with Blue, and that was something Lance considered sacred. 

He and Shiro got closer while sitting in the observation deck on the nights neither of them could sleep, under a blanket of stars; Shiro kept awake by gruelling nightmares, and Lance by the ache in his chest for losing something familiar. 

And, well. He and Shiro bonded in other ways too… when everyone else fell asleep and there was nothing but them and a castle full of secret corners. 

The castleship wasn’t Matanzas, but Lance learned to love it regardless.

* * *

His third home sat nestled between one arm laced with scars and another replaced by metal. This one was unexpected and new, in the sense that never in a million years would he have thought he _deserved_ it. 

It was a home that he and Shiro built together, laying the foundation with that very first handshake in Keith’s dusty desert shack. 

Getting to know Shiro was a slow process, but Lance didn’t mind sitting back and taking his time for once. He started with the late-night conversations, but even then he had to work bit by bit. 

What are you doing up? _Just thinking of drills we can try out when we train._

What are you doing up? _Not tired yet._

What are you doing up? _I have a lot on my mind._

What are you doing up? _I can’t sleep._

What are you doing up? _What are_ you _doing up?_ I miss home. _I get nightmares and they won’t leave me alone._

So they stay up, talking and talking until Shiro noticed Lance dozing off and walked him back to his room. Eventually Lance dragged Shiro in with him, because _what if I can’t fall asleep once I’m in bed?_ And Shiro is nodding like, of course, yes, that absolutely makes sense and Lance is trying hard not to let his smile crack his face in two. 

It’s the first proper sleep Lance has gotten since they left earth. 

He eventually learns the language Shiro spoke when he woke up sweating from his nightmares. _Use your voice to wake him up before you touch him. Let him respond first. Ask him what he needs. Hold on to him if he reaches for you and don’t let go until he falls asleep again._

And on the nights when Lance can only offer a watery smile, Shiro got him talking of what he missed about home, asked questions about his family or his childhood or his favourite movie until his eyes were slipping close and the tears were no longer there. At this point he feels Shiro’s arms come around him, feels his fingers threading through his hair. 

It's not _home_ home, but somehow it's better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (we're all gonna pretend it's july 2nd.) 
> 
> i hoped you all enjoyed this one!!


	3. Day 3: Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The McClain's take a trip and Lance has an awakening.

When Lance was seven, his parents surprised them with a two-day trip to Pinar del Rio, a rare occurrence since their days off hardly ever coincided. It was a three hour drive from their home, and Lance and his siblings were all so excited that they were glued to the car windows to watch the scenery roll pass. 

The radio was on, set to the news station because when his Papa was in the driver's seat it was always the news. Lance was dozing in the middle seat after being forced to sit there after their last bathroom break. Veronica and Rachel were on either side of him, and his brothers were in the back row. 

He heard bits and pieces of the story playing over the radio.

_ “-del Rio, visible from the Cordillera de Guaniguanico ranges-” _

Veronica gasped, scrambling to peer between the front seats, hitting Lance on the way there and sending him falling over Rachel. The car swerved slightly. 

_ “Hey!”  _ they both shouted, glaring at their older sister. 

“Veronica, get back in your seat!” 

“A meteor shower!” Veronica squealed gleefully, glasses nearly falling off her face as she turned the volume up. “We have to go see it!”

The entire family and their neighbours knew of Veronica’s obsession with space. She had posters of the solar system on her walls and glow in the dark stars on her ceiling. Her fascination rubbed off on Lance, so he got the stars too, and listened to her talk about how she wanted to be an aerospace engineer, how she’d have to study really hard to make it. She was the smartest person Lance knew, and he didn’t doubt she could get there when she was older. 

“Guaniguanico is an hour out of Pinar del Rio,” their father protested, righting the car. “And we’d have to drive on the highway in the middle of the night, not to mention the mosquitoes that’ll be-”

“Please please please-”

“-please please please!” Lance repeated eagerly, poking his head out from under Veronica’s arm so he could flash his biggest, roundest eyes at his parents, completely forgetting his annoyance over being rudely awakened. “When are we ever going to see one again?”

Lance knew when his parents finally caved to their requests, so when their mother turned to face her husband with her expression easing into neutrality, he knew he had gotten at least one of them. “Lance  _ does _ have a point…”

His father turned a disbelieving look on her. “But it’ll be _ dark _ and driving in the mountains isn’t safe at night.”

Veronica pouted. “But it’s my dream to see one.”

“Mine too!” Lance repeated, also pouting. 

“...”

“Pleeeeeease Papa?” Veronica pleaded, mimicking Lance’s puppy-dog eyes. 

“... sit down and we’ll see...”

And just like that, they got their father too. 

Veronica and Lance sat back with an accomplished smile, Marco and Luis already chattering excitedly in the backseat about how they would finally catch a UFO on film.

* * *

It was too late to find any attractions that were open, so their father found a secluded road off the main highway and they all climbed out of the car. He felt a familiar prick on his arm and he automatically slapped his hand over it, squinting in the dark to inspect the damage. His father was right, the mosquitoes were  _ terrible. _

“This better be worth it, Veronica,” Marco grumbled, scratching insistently at his ankles. 

Veronica didn’t even look over, eyes trained on the inky sky above them with bated breath. She was on the hood of their car, leaning back on her hands as she waited. “It will be.” 

And then Lance saw it. 

He gasped, shaking Marco’s arm excitedly as he pointed up to the sky. “Right there!” 

Everyone’s neck snapped up to where he was pointing. The initial flash that came from the meteor entering the atmosphere faded away but the bright tail remained, as if that portion of the sky had been scratched away and someone from the other side shone a flashlight in. 

Rachel gasped in awe as another tail streaked through the sky, just as bright as the first but longer. 

Lance’s eyes were wide as saucers and reflected the stars. Until now, Lance’s interest in space came from Veronica exclusively; they bonded over books she’d borrowed from her school's library, Lance hanging off of every one of her words since he couldn’t read them himself. All of his wonder came from her.

Seeing the cluster of rocks arc through the sky opened his eyes. Suddenly, he understood  _ why  _ Veronica was dead set on pursuing a career related to space. He was seeing this phenomenon from Earth… imagine what was waiting for him just outside of its orbit. The planets, the moons,  _ everything _ . 

He knew it was possible to go to space. Veronica talked about the ISS and he knew a little about NASA and the Galaxy Garrison.

“Aren’t you supposed to wish on these things?” Luis quietly wondered aloud. 

“You can if you believe in that kind of stuff,” Veronica replied, voice wispy with dreams. 

So Lance clasped his hands in front of him and held on tight, eyes squinted shut as he repeated his wish over and over again in his mind. 

_ I want to go to space. I want to go to space. I want to go to space.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day threeeeeee! Very short, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless <3 I, personally, really love to see Lance bonding with his family, it's something that I've been trying to include in my writing more often. Thank you to ashkazora and koalaoshiz for your comments! They were super motivating and were the reason I managed to finish this prompt faster than usual ahaha. 
> 
> Until next time!!


	4. Day 4: Monsters and Mana (K/L)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pike didn't expect to end up in this position. He just wanted the pretty elf's coin.

Pike hopped from tree branch to tree branch without stumbling once, tail flicking behind him as he followed the tall figure on the ground. The trees lining the path were thick and dense enough to allow his footsteps to be comfortably close and silent

He’d seen the figure leaving the tavern in the last town, either oblivious to the eyes he was getting as his footsteps thudded against the worn wood flooring, or completely uncaring. Pike wouldn’t even lie, he’d been a looker as well. He couldn’t help it; a new elf in town, pretty enough to be royalty but built like a ranger, dark hair that grew like a storm cloud around his face, violet eyes and a mouth that was turned into a displeased grimace from the moment he entered. Plus, this one had a broadsword strapped to his back, which only heightened Pike’s interest. Elves fought long-range, but this one was clearly skilled in getting up close and personal. 

He took another step, dancing up in the canopy of trees, scowling when he recalled their meeting back in town. 

_ He slid up to the counter, tail swishing with interest as he took in the side profile of the elf. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” he hummed, leaning his chin on his hand. “ _

_ The handsome stranger's eyes flicked down to his briefly before turning back to the front as he took a seat, unruffled by Pike’s proximity. “That’s because I haven’t been here before.” He ordered, thumbing open the pouch of coins that hung over the side of his thigh.  _

_ Pike saw the flash of gold and followed it with keen eyes before remembering what he was here to do. Distract the attractive man, try to nab some coins, slither out before he was found out. Same plan as always.  _

_ The stranger didn’t look over at him, but he readjusted the pouch so it hugged closer to his waist, away from any eager fingers. Pike raised an interested eyebrow at that. Clearly, this one knew better.  _

_ He continued, hopping onto the stool next to him and crossing his legs. “Are you planning on staying or is this just a small stop on your journey?”  _

_ “Why are you asking?” _

_ Pike smiled coyly. “Isn’t it obvious?” _

_ He didn’t look impressed at Pike’s insinuations, not even bothering to offer a glance, let alone a response.  _

_ Right off the back, he could tell this one was going to take more work.  _

_ For a moment, Pike contemplated whether or not it was worth it. This elf didn’t look like the others that came down, who dressed in expensive silks and jewels. This one looked like he was a little like Pike himself, as if he’d been on his own for some time. Plus, Pike was willing to bet that he was smarter than he was letting on, and he didn’t want to stir up any real trouble that day.  _

_ “Alright, alright,” he finally sighed. “I get it, I’ll get out of your hair now.” _

Consider yourself lucky,  _ Pike thought to himself as he stood up from the stool, slapping a few coins down on the sticky counter. “Give him a second round, on me,” he told the barkeep before arching his arms up in a stretch. The stranger’s head whipped around to face him, face pinching into confusion.  _

_ He was really, really cute. Pike was a little mad at it.  _

_ When his arms dropped, he gave a two-fingered salute. “Good luck on your journey,” he said before turning on his heel and walking out of the stuffy tavern. _

_ He got a few steps away from the door when there was a crash inside and the sound of muffled shouts. Alarmed, Pike turned back to face the door just as the elf shouldered through the front doors, glancing around wildly until his eyes fell on Pike.  _

_ Pike promised himself he was going to stay out of trouble, but it seemed that trouble was coming to him today. The elf’s eyes glowed an eerie gold, and his expression sent a zap down his spine, making his tail stick straight up. _

__

_ “Give it back,” he growled, taking a step closer.  _

_ Pike took one instinctive step back, hands coming up to placate him. “Woah, calm down! I don’t have anything,”  _

_ The elf shook his head angrily, stalking closer. “I saw you eyeing my coins. I know it was you that took them, so I’m asking you once again, give them back.”  _

_ Pike knew for a fact that it was him. “I’m telling you, I don’t have them!” The elf lunged and he had to leap out of his grasp with a yelp to avoid getting caught. “Hey!” He snapped once he regained his footing.  _

_ The elf pushed closer, purple eyes glinting in the setting sun. “I knew something was up the second you tried to distract me,” he continued as if Pike hadn’t spoken at all. He reached out to grab Pike again, and this time he wasn’t fast enough. The elf’s fingers wrapped out the end of his tail and gave a sharp tug.  _

_ Pike’s claws immediately sharpened as a jolt of pain shot up his spine. He let out a sharp sound, somewhere between a yell and a hiss, and skid back towards the elf. White hot anger spiked in his stomach. You don’t just grab somebody's tail like that without their permission!  _

_ He only had time to think  _ ‘Screw not getting into trouble’ _ before he kicked his foot out. He caught a glance of the shocked expression on the elf’s face, as if he couldn’t believe he grabbed him, his hand already loosening its hold around Pike when his heel slammed into his chest.  _

_ The elf staggered backwards, but he was large enough that he didn’t tip over. Pike scrambled away from his reach, holding his tail protectively. “What the hell, man!” _

_ “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” _

_ Pike didn’t care anymore. “I told you already, I don’t have your coin pouch!” He made a show of erratically shaking out his pockets. “I even paid for your drink! I’ve seen guys like you around. You think you can get away with anything, don’t you?” He stomped his foot and huffed, a scowl etched into his face.  _

_ The elf had the decency to look sorry. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you, I’m sorry, I just got distracted in the bar and thought-” _

_ “No, you shouldn't have grabbed me,” Pike agreed icily, crossing his arms. “My hands were right in front of you the entire time! How could I have grabbed anything from you?” _

_ “I thought you had an accomplice!” _

_ Pike threw his arms up to gesture at the empty space around him. “Well ya thought wrong!” He scoffed. _

_ “Let me make it up to you-” _

_ “Don’t bother,” Pike shook his head, stepping away. “I’m done with this. Enjoy your drink, you heathen.” He turned on his heel and stalked away, trying to smother his anger as best as he could.  _

_ The elf didn’t follow him, thankfully. He made it to the end of the street, where he turned the corner. As soon as he was out of his line of side, he ducked behind the nearest wall, peeking around it to see the elf, who was guiltily dragging his feet back into the tavern.  _

_ Pike told himself earlier that he wasn’t going to get in trouble, that a few coins weren’t worth it this time around. Now, though, he had a change of heart. An enlightening, if you will.  _

_ Sure, the coins weren’t worth it, but the sword strapped to the elf’s back definitely was.  _

So, here he was now. In the trees, following the elf away from the warm glow of the town. 

He formulated the plan as he followed. The most logical course of action given the time of day was to wait for him to fall asleep before hopping down and doing away with that big pretty sword of his. 

_ That’ll teach him to think twice about grabbing someone’s tail,  _ Pike huffed. 

It didn’t take long for the elf to settle down since it was already well into the night. The elf veered off the main path to find someplace less populated to roll out his sleeping pack. He stretched for a few minutes before laying down.  _ Without  _ washing up or taking off his shoes or  _ anything!  _ Pike couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

He waited with his legs over a thick tree branch for the sound of his breathing to even out, and even some time after that before quietly climbing down the tree. He snapped a twig as soon as he hit the ground, the crack splitting through the air. He winced, casting a panicked look in the direction of the sleeping elf, who mumbled something in his sleep as he stirred, but thankfully did not wake. 

Pike continued closer, sticking close to the ground. The sword was right by the sleeping bag, so he’d need to be extra careful getting it without making a sound. Once he was close enough, he brushed his hand over the hilt, momentarily stunned by the craftsmanship. It was made of celestial steel, a rare metal that resisted any sort of wear and tear. It was engraved with swirling runes, most of them foreign to him, but he recognised a few, the most prominent one being a rune for protection. And perhaps the most eye-catching was the glittering ruby pressed into the steel, big enough to reflect the full moon above them without being distorted. 

Holding his breath, he curled his fingers around the sword and lifted it, keeping his eyes on the elf to make sure he stayed asleep. Satisfaction made his lips stretch into a smile as he got up, turning the sword this way and that in his hands. Just as he stepped away, he heard voices in the distance, snaking through the fauna before reaching him. He dropped once again, heart pounding in his ribs. 

“-saw him going this way. He was alone. We can take him easily so-”

_ Raiders.  _ Pike’s stomach dropped. 

He heard a tree branch crack somewhere to the right. His ears twitched, picking up the sounds. There were at least three, spread out in a circle around them, and they were close. There was no way he could climb back up the tree without them noticing. 

_ You should’ve just stayed out of trouble,  _ Pike groaned silently as his mind scrambled to find an escape. 

There was another crack, closer, and this time the elf woke up, shooting up like an arrow prepared to be shot. Unfortunately, Pike didn’t have enough to move away and the two clonked heads. 

The elf yelped, high pitched and surprised and sounding nothing like he did back in town. Pike hissed, throwing himself on top of him to pin his shoulders down with his hands, pressing a finger up to his lips. He lost grip of the sword in the process.  _ “Be quiet!”  _

“What are you doing here?” The elf snapped groggily, hair mussed with sleep. 

Ha, as if Pike would admit that. “There are raiders,” he said instead, leaning close so he didn’t have to raise his voice. The elf’s face flooded crimson. “Three of them, I think. We need to find a way out before they-”

“Well, well,” a rough voice behind him chuckled, sending every one of the hairs on Pike’s arms standing on edge. “Are we interrupting something?” 

Pike willed himself not to flinch and instead sat up, his legs still on either side of the elf’s hips. He heard the elf suck in a breath, probably preparing himself for the fight. “Actually, you are,” he said, feigning nonchalance. He quickly staked out how many people were around. He was right; three men in total.

Three men who were considerably larger than he was. Four, if he counted the elf.

The one who spoke had a deep scar running over his right eye, which had been replaced by a glowing prosthetic. He was barrel chested and his arms were thicker than Pike’s waist, which did nothing to calm him. Everything about him screamed of brutish strength. He cast a glance at the two, gesturing with the hand that held a heavy mallet. “We don’t want any trouble,” he said, but judging by the gleeful edge of his voice, Pike highly doubted that. “So we’ll just take a few things then be on our way, alright?”

The elf pushed his arms against his knees, but Pike put his hand against his chest and held him down. He stuck his nose into the air. “No can do. See, I’m holding down, uh…” Shoot, he didn’t know the elf’s name! “... Keith over here. He’s kind of,” he used his other hand to swirl a finger over his temple. “You know? If I let him go, it most definitely won’t end well for you guys.” 

Seriously? _ Keith? _ What kind of name was that? 

He gave an expectant look at ‘Keith’, silently ordering him to play along. 

Keith caught on and whipped his head over to where the barbarian-class raider stood, mouth twisting into a scowl. “That’s right,” he growled, and Pike suspected it was genuine, “touch  _ anything  _ and you’ll regret it.”

A second man spoke up, smaller than the first but no less deadly. “And what’s a pretty little elf like you going to do, hmm?”

Pike’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like that tone at  _ all.  _

“Why don’t you come over here and find out?” Keith spat, testing his strength again, this time more insistently. 

“Feisty, hmm? I say we just take them instead,” crooned the third, circling around them. “They’re both pretty enough to keep around. What do ya say, Sendak?”

Pike’s stomach felt like lead. From underneath him, the elf’s eyes glowed angrily. 

The first man, Sendak, contemplated this. “You know, that’s not actually a bad idea, Branko,” he drawled, stepping closer. 

Pike saw his muscles tighten and prepared himself to be grabbed, panic seizing his bones. They had no way out. Once again, _he_ _should’ve just kept out of trouble-_

He felt Keith’s fingers wrap around his collar and pull him down. “Flip over me, I can take him down.” Keith whispered urgently, eyes flashing. “Now!”

Pike did exactly what Keith asked, because what else was he supposed to do? He placed his hands on either side of Keith’s head and kicked his feet up into a handstand, face mere inches away from Keith’s pointed nose. They met eyes, briefly, before Pike tumbled away from him and Keith swept his legs out to topple Branko over, his head hitting the tree stump that Keith’s things were nestled against. Pike hopped up into a low crouch just in time to see the shocked faces of the others turn into rage. 

“Throk!” Sendak snarled, arm arching up with his mallet in hand. “This one is mine, you get the other.”

_ Oh, he means me,  _ Pike realised with a yelp as Throk came barrelling towards him. He leapt into the air, flipping away from him easily. He wasn’t as strong as any of them, but flexibility was in his genes and he could use that to his advantage. 

Everytime Throk went in for a hit, he danced out of reach. He had no weapons, but if he could just get to higher ground… 

He dodged another attack and found himself back to back with Keith. 

“Say, what’s your name?”

He heard the sound of metal swatting against metal, which meant Keith had managed to grab his sword. “Is that really important right now?!” 

Pike narrowly avoided getting hit in the face with one of Throk’s fists. “Yes! I keep calling you Keith-”

_ “Keith?!”  _

“Just answer the question!”

“Thunder!” he growled in response, pushing Sendak back. “You can call me Thunder.”

Pike rolled out of arm's reach. “Nice to meet you, Thunder, I’m-” He was cut off abruptly by someone grabbing his tail  _ again  _ \- seriously, what was up with his luck today?! - and pulling him backwards. He screeched, twisting around to claw at whoever it was. 

It was the other heathen, Branko, back on his feet with a swollen bump over his forehead. 

Pike opened his mouth to growl  _ get your hands off me!  _ before Thunder beat him to it. 

“Don’t touch him!” 

There was the flash of metal in the air, zipping in the space between Pike and Branko before burying into the tree behind them. 

Branko howled in pain and let go of Pike’s tail abruptly, cradling his arm close to his body. Blood dripped over his skin and onto the ground, staining the soil black. 

_ Elves use long range weapons,  _ Pike remembered suddenly, eyes trained on the knife buried hilt deep in the tree. 

Taking advantage of his distraction, he twisted into a roundhouse kick, heel aimed straight for Branko’s temple, and sent him crumbling to the ground once more. 

“That’ll teach you to grab someone’s tail!” Pike grinned triumphantly before turning back to the fight. 

Thunder was doing an impressive job at holding his ground against both Throk and Sendak, but Pike wasn’t just going to sit around and watch. He climbed up the tree closest to the trio and swung down from the lowest branch, back and forth, letting the momentum build up before he yelled out, “Thunder, duck!” 

Thunder did as he was told without looking up at him at all, and Pike let himself go crashing into Sendak and Throk, grunting at the impact. He wasn’t heavy enough to knock them both over, but he did throw off their balance. Keith capitalized on the opportunity quickly and aimed a few well-placed blows that sent the two brutes crumpling to the ground. 

They stood panting in silence for a few seconds, eyeing the motionless bodies. Then, Thunder shook his head as if he was shaking himself out of his thoughts and rushed over to his tousled sleeping bag, rolling it haphazardly before snatching his bag and Pike’s wrist. 

“Come on, they’re not going to stay down forever,” he urged breathlessly, tugging Pike away from the fight scene. 

Thunder’s hands were unfairly warm against his skin, but Pike put one foot in front of the other and let Thunder lead the way through the thicket of trees. 

* * *

They ran as long as they could, due to Thunder’s insistence that they put as much distance between them and the raiders as possible. When they stopped, it was just outside of a sleepy village. The moon hung over their heads, already beginning to descend, and doused everything in silver light. 

Pike leaned against the closest wall he could find, the side of a barn. “Ohmygod,” he gasped, pressing the back of his hand against his eyebrows. “Never again. I swear on the Moon Goddess, I’m never going to step a toe out of line, it’s not worth it-”

Thunder braced his arms against his knees, winded although not as badly as Pike. “Why were you following me?!”

Pike threw up his arms, frustrated at himself for being so petty. “I was pissed off, okay! I wanted payback.”

“For  _ what?” _

He grabbed his tail and waved it angrily in Thunder’s face. 

Realization dawned on his face. “Oh,” he said, voice tiny all of a sudden. 

Pike refused to feel bad for him.

“I’m sorry,” Thunder continued earnestly, straightening up. His eyes found Pike’s, nearly fluorescent in the moonlight. “That was inappropriate of me.”

Pike dropped his tail and let it swish side to side in annoyance. He  _ really  _ didn’t want to feel bad for him but… “Whatever. You  _ did _ stop that guy when he grabbed me so… I guess that cancels out whatever you did.” 

“Actually?”

“No, but it’s not like you can reverse what happened so…” He shrugged halfheartedly. “That’s that.”

“Does it… does it hurt?” Thunder asked, eyes raking down Pike’s form to get to his tail. 

Pike wanted to scowl. How dare he be concerned? And so endearingly at that? 

(He did not scowl. He blushed instead.)

“It’s fine, just a little sore,” Pike mumbled, curling his tail around his leg and feeling a slight twinge between the vertebrae. He hesitated, feeling the urge to explain himself. “I  _ was  _ trying to steal your coins. But I didn’t!” He held up his hands quickly, reassuring him. “I actually didn’t. It... I didn’t think it would be worth it,”

Thunder’s brows pulled together adorably. “Why not?”

“Well, uh… you- you were by yourself and, uh,” He cleared his throat, voice quietening. “You reminded me a little bit of myself, and I felt bad so…” Gods, this was bad. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, finding it difficult to meet Keith’s eyes directly. He looked back at where they had emerged from the forest, trying to change the subject. “Man, I don’t even know how to get back to that town…” 

“What’s your name?”

“Hmm?” Pike glanced up, not expecting that answer. Thunder’s voice had changed qualities, into something more sure, like he had just realised something. “It’s Pike.”

“Pike,” Thunder repeated, in that same voice. “Do you have someone waiting for you back in town?”

Pike found himself shaking his head silently, eyes training on Thunder’s porcelain features. He’d been alone for years now, drifting from town to town and surviving off of whatever he could reach. 

Thunder’s voice was murder on his heart, soft and hesitant, as if he was approaching a stray kitten.

Which, he supposed, he was. 

“Do you want to stick with me?” He cleared his throat, a blush darkening his cheeks. “I, uh, I could use the company.”

Silence pressed up against them in the few seconds it took Pike to respond. “I’d like that,” he said quietly. “I’d like it a lot, actually.”

Relief flashed over Thunder’s expression before disappearing. He took a step towards Pike, holding his hand out. “I guess that makes us a team, then.”

Pike’s hand rose to meet it. “I guess it does.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Pike.”

Pike’s lips quirked. They clasped hands. “You too, Thunder.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day fourrrrr super late but that's my brand. Keith/Thunder letting himself get distracted by Pike enough to get robbed... hehehehe. Had a whole bunch of fun writing the confrontation scene with the raiders lmao poor Thunder was losing it. Kind of gave up towards the end but that's okay. I hope you all enjoyed!!!


End file.
